Shipping pack



Jan. 7, 1930. w. E. PARSONS Fr AL 1,743,085

SHIPPING PACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Fab. 4, 192

1 4 I1 T W Inveuians Pl/aIIaceEPanflmJ' ErwizzEBoodJ Jan. 7, 1930. w. E. PARSONS El AL 1,743,085

snnmne max Filed Feb. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TTE-WI T W a" In ventors PVaIlaaeE Pansons E1'wl'n HD0051] Patented as. a rest omrsn STATES PATENT OFFICE OF PORTLAND, MAINE, ASSIGNOBS TO A CORPORATION 01' MAINE WALLAOE E PARSONS AND ERWIN E. BOODY,

ms FIBRE COMPANY, INC., OF WATEBVIIJLE, MAINE,

smiimq IEAGK Application filed.!ebruary 4, 1929. Serial R0. 337,196.

of the packs e where the two ends of the circumferential y applied wrapping sheet meet each other. Moreover, the edge of the wra ping sheet is ex osed and hence is frequent y torn during shipment or handling thus exposing part of the sides of the ackage len hwise to entrance ofdust and dirt.

n the effort to avoid the disadvantage of such a package it has been proposed to first pass the string or twine longitudinall about the group of nested articles, then one ose the The present invention involves both an improved package for-the storage, delivery and shipment of such articles as plates, dishes or other food containers and an improve 5 method of packaging such articles. For the purposes of this application we shall discuss our invention in its adaptation to the packaging of molded pulp articles which must be roduced in large quantities and sold at a low price to fill the public demand for an 1nexpensive single use food container. It will be understood, however, that this treatment group in the paper wrappmg sheet and finalis purely illustrative and in no way limiting ly apply sealing discs to the ends of the as the principles of our invention apply to group. e twine, however, forms ridges the packaging of a wide variety of articles. between the food containers and the wrap- The packaging of such an article as amoldping paper and to some extent damages the ed plate, dish, or the like, however, involves containers themselves particularly when the serious problems in handling, packing and twine is drawn tlghtly about them. Such shipping. These include the characteristic rldges moreover make the wrapper more 11- deformability of the individual articles, the able to damage than where a smooth umnterrupted external surface is presented.

more or less moisture absorbent nature of the materials used in their manufacture, ulti- Our present invention aims to overcome the mate shipping requirements as to quantity disadvantages of such prior packages and inand size, protection against damage in hanvolves certain lmprovements 1n both packdling, storage and equipment, and sanitary aging methods and the package itself to the maintenance prior to use as food containers end that we may provide a storage, delivery and shipping package which is completely sealed against the ingress of dust, dirt and or dispensers.

It has heretofore been the practice in preother foreign matter so that the food containers may be delivered to the points of use paring such food containers for shipment to assemble a group of them in nested condition in a clean, sanitary condition and without danger of contamination in any way by conand to wrap around such group a sheet of wrapping paper,

tact with foreign matter during storage or shipment.

such wrapplng sheet being held in place and the articles being longitudi- In carrying out our invention we first nest nally compressed to some extent by the appliand compress the desired number of food concation of one or more lengths of string or twine longitudinally about the package and over the ends thereof. The equipment for tainers into a group or bundle and then wrap a sheet of wrapping paper or other covering material circumferentially about the group.

preparing such a package is shown in the Keyes Patent No. 921,256, dated May 11,

We next apply a strip of sealing tape or other 1909, and an improvement upon this machine is shown in the Williamson Patent No. 1,401,298, dated December 22, 1921. Both of these machines prepare a package in which the twine is tied on the outside of the wrap-, ping paper, the wrapping paper afiording no material protection to the ends of the package and allowing dirt and other foreign matter to reach the food containers both through the ends of the package between the containers and the wrapper and also along the sides suitable material over the joint or lap between the edges of the covering sheet." This strip of sealing tape extends from end to end of the package and completely closes such joint or lap against ingress of dust or dirt. The ends of the sealing strip are passed around the ends of the package and scaled down to the wrapping sheet on the side opposite the lap or joint. This sealing tape serves the dual purpose of sealing the ends of the wraplot "end sealing discs.

- stack after compaction.

Figl III a'view of the initial step in wrap-- end to end by ping sheet to ether and of holding the package in shape or subsequent application of the end sealing heads thus making a dust and dirt roof seal for the wrapper. The package is then subjected to a second operation wherein-gurnmed or other suitably prepared heads or sealing-discs areplaced adjacent'tow the ends of the package and arefolded over. .into contact withthe wrapper togwhich tliey are. sealed ljoWfi-1 ,in.' diis't proof. relation whereby tightly" whose both ends of the package. v tain a completeness of seal not possible 111 previous-packages in that the lap or joint of the covering sheet is completely closed from the sealing :tape and the ends of the package a re completely closed by the V Insuch a pa'ckagethe use I w ofstring'or twine and-the resultant danger of 20 damaging the edges of the articles in the applicati'on of the twine as well as the formation of the objectionable ridges beneaththe' wrap ping sheet, due to the physical presence of the twine is; avoided. ()ur package caused by the underlying twine.

In the accompanying drawings we h a ve at tempted to illustrat acteristic resultant In these drawings:

Fig. I is a section through a stack of plates before compaction. I

i Fig. II a similar section through such a ping the stack.

Fig. IV shows sealed at thelap or joint of the wrapper ends. Fig. V a diagrammaticindication of the end sea-ling.-

Fig. VI shows the completed pack unit with end heads sealed down overthe wrapper.

Fig. VII a plural unit pack partly broken away to illustrate its interior, and

Fig. VIII one of the plural units remox ed.

Referring to Fig. I it will'benoted that the j plates Pin the stack S are relatively loosely the completed nested within one another before compaction; I For purposes of illustration we have shown one or more of the plates at P at one end (the right hand end) of the stack in'thi s figure as reversed with respect to the main assemblage; This presents convex heads stood that all of the plates dinal compression, as indicated in In our package therefor-ewe obis n. sealed,

wrapped package in which the via pper sur 5 "face is smooth and even and hence is not apt to be broken or'torn during handlingor ship-f ment due to the forii'iation' of "application of the end sealing the ridges A e somewhat diagrammati cally the steps of our method andthechar v again, as in'di packs produced thereby I slitted as at 'd, arethen forced the stack wrapped and package is acteristic form 'un1t,-it may in VIII and aregene'rally packed same method be atboth ends of package, but it will be under; may be nested theothe'r. In this way'th'e pluralunitsU inin alignment -lodged by any ordinary handling: -We, 'however, preferably reverse one end unit-as indistack is compacted and the plates brought to substantially uniform alignment.

his compacting, furthermore. gives to the stack a resistance to rough handling in transportation and makes it possible with a comparatively thin venvelopegor wrapper W to ha'vesuch packsgo through shipment without damage. Furthermore, by the close packing. and the. sealing which, we. will next des ibe' i f p ib t hav eqapjefee y sanitary' pack which is of course 'veryiinportant where the articles contained are intended for food containers and the like. u

In :practicev-while the stack is held under end pressure, as indicated at a the covering sheet W is I brought about" .the: stack, shown in Fig. III, and: the overlappededgeiof the sheetiWls ealedas by a'stripof adhesive tape T, Figz'rIVa' -The tape is'broughtv across the ends 'of the wrappedstackarid sealed a The strip: T both seals this" lap 01' joint agai'nst ingressof dirt and dust and holds the group of plates in shape for subsequent heads or discs.

In the next step, shown in Fig; V, the-pack thus prepared, has a pair of end sealing discs of" paper or like material'brou'ght up against the stack andunden'end pressure cated by'the arrows'A. The edges "of the D, which are preferably over'the ends of the stack and firmly cemented-thereto by the'adhesive with WlllCh' the disc is coated.

"This now converts the compacted and 'fwrapped stack into a doublesea-led'packa e viz, the seal 'afl"ordedb"y' the tape-Tat t e lap or joint of the wrapper ends and. that afforded at the ends of "the pack by the end sealing discs D. So sealed and wrapped the practically dirt and dust proof. (SeeFig. VI:'')"-'" The packs may contain of any size or number of articles, such packs being in onecharof one hundred'plates. Inof making the pack a single one form of our invention be made up asa plural unit as illustrated in Fig. VII. In this figure'we have illustrated five small packs indicated by the reference letter U. Thesesub-units U are illustratedin Fig. under the ore described, with the exceptionthat we preferably do not reverse an end plate-asindicated at P in Fig. II, but wrap and end seallthe' stack of plates so that the unit U'ins'tead of'being convex at both ends, is convex at one end andconcaved at stead, however,

'terengageandarticulate'so that theyjare held and cannot be" laterally discated at U in Fig. VII, so as to give a convexity to both ends of the multiple unit. In such multiple unit pack the exterior wrapper W is a plied and sealed at 1ts lap or o1nt as at T the same method as with the unitary pack, and the end discs D are put on in the same way.

Such a multiple unit is of great convenience where the enclosed ware is to be retailed for private use, as for example, picnic plates. The dealer is able by simple breaking the outer sheet W of such a plural pack to hand to the customer a sealed unit U of say fifty plates, which may be kept sealed by the customer until they are desired for use. This is not only a great convenience in handling, but gives the individual user a sealed and sanitary pack which may be transported and handled without danger of having the contents contaminated.

For greater convenience in opening such a multiple unit pack, we may provide a rip string S (Fig. VII) for cutting the outer wrapper W Such string may have one end S secured beneath the sealing tape T for the lap joint of this wrapper. The string is then carried towards the opposite end of the wrapper W being staggered to avoid the tape T and laps of the wrapper and thus to reduce the number of thicknesses ofmater al which must be torn through. The string is exposed at its free end as a grasping portion S Preferably also we print directly on the outer faces of: the end sealingdiscs D or D the usual identifying data as to the contents of he package. This avoids the necessity for applying a separate label on the side of the wrapper, as has heretofore been the pract ce, and makes far greater convenience in storing and handling the packages for storage and shipment.

Our method may be practiced by hand or by any convenient means or mechanism and the packs as above suggested may be of any desired form and the wrapping elements may be varied, although the combination shown is one of great practical value and of demonstrated efficiency.

Similarly we may use other materials than gummed tape, as for example, a simple band of adhesive, for sealing the lap or joint of the wrapper and such adhesive could also-be used for sealing down the end discs. All such departures in methods and materials are to be regarded as within the spirit and scope of our invention if within the limits of the ap ended claims.

svhat we therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sealed wrapped package, consisting of a longitudinally compressible stack of nested articles of fibre ware, a wrapping sheet of suflicient'strength to hold said articles in alinement tightly rolled about said stack, a

strip of sealing tape securing the free edge of said wrapping sheet to the body thereof and having its ends extended diametrically over the ends of the stack and secured to the body of the sheet after compression has been applied to the stack, and end sealing members applied over the ends of the wrapping sheet and secured thereto.

2. A sealed wrapped package, consisting of a longitudinally compressible stack of nested articles of fibre ware, a wrapping sheet of suflicient strength to hold the articles in alinement tightly rolled about said stack, a tie member disposed longitudinally of the stack and over the ends thereof after compression has been applied to the stack for holding the stack compressed, and end sealing members applied over the ends of the wrapping sheet and sealed thereto.

3. A sealed wrapped package, consisting of a longitudinally compressible stack of nested articles of fibre ware disposed in interfacially contacting relation to each other and axially expansible upon release of the longitudinal compression, a wrapping sheet of suflicient strength to hold said articles in alinement tightly rolled about said stack, said wrapper having a longitudinal edge overlapped upon the underlying body portion of the sheet, a closure strip applied over said overlapped edge of the Wrapper after the stack has been longitudinally compressed and sealing said wrapper around the stack as a circumferentially confining open-ended tubular stack envelopment, and end sealing members applied over the endmost articles of the stack and sealed to the end portions of the wrapper in closing relation thereto after said sealing strip has been applied, said end sealing members and strip cooperating with the wrapper to form thereof a substantially dust-tight protective enclosure which completely envelopes the stack and is sealed at its ends and along one longitudinal edge as a completely enclosing stack envelopment efl'ective both to restrain the stack against axial expansion upon release of the longitudinal compression and to prevent the entrance of foreign matter into the stack.

4. A sealed wi'apped package, consisting of a stack of nested articles of fibre ware disposed in interfacially contacting relation to each other and compressed longitudinally, a wrapping sheet of sufficient strength to hold said articles in alinement tightly rolled about said stack, said wrapper having a longitudinal edge overlapped upon and sealed to the underlying body portioif of the sheet after the stack has been longitudinally compressed and sealing said wrapper around the stack as a circumferentially confining open-ended tubular stack envelopment, and end sealing members applied over the endmost articles of the stack and sealed to the end portions of the wrapper in closing relation thereto after said wrapper has been sealed around said stack, said end sealing members cooperating with the wrap er to form thereof a substantially dust-tiglit protective enclosure which completely envelopes the stack and is sealed at its ends and alon one longitudinal edge as a completely enclosing stack envelopment effective both to restrain the individual articles in stack against separation upon release of the longitudinal compression and to prevent the entrance of foreign matter into the stack.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures. I e WALLACE E. PARSONS.

ERWIN H. BOODY. 

